McMeel says that to him, the Irish pantry is a treasure trove of wholesomeness and tasty delights. He has shared them with American readers who can use his recipes to keep themselves and their guests well-nourished.

Irish Lace Biscuits are a traditional teatime snack. Bakers differ as to whether you should roll them into tubes or leave them flat. Either way, they sound like a lovely afternoon treat.

His jar mixes for cookies, scones and even bread, will leave the pantry ready to go or make nice gifts under the tree.

The recipe here for the Old-Fashioned Rum Pot needs to be made today if you’d like to serve it for Christmas, as it takes two weeks to “cook.”

“One Bowl Baking: Simple, from Scratch Recipes for Delicious Desserts” also says all the right things. Simple and from scratch are two favorite concepts. It’s written by Yvonne Ruperti (Running Press, $22). She was on “America’s Test Kitchen” for three seasons and was recipe developer and writer for Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Those are sources for expert recipes so this is a book you can trust.

But she had me at Sweet and Salty Pretzel Crunch Cupcakes. In one bowl? Really?

This book is all about simplifying baking, not by using shortcuts of ingredients, but by eliminating appliances. No electric mixers, food processors or extra bowls needed here. Most are mixed in a bowl, some in the pan in which they are made. Most take 15 minutes.

Shared here is a recipe for Sour Cherry Almond Clafouti. The French dessert clafouti, which means to fill, is a thick pancake flan like custard that’s filled with fruit and baked in a shallow dish. In the oven it puffs up and browns as it bakes. It’s also a great beginner dessert.

Old-Fashioned Rum Pot

2 large apples, cored and cut into chunks

2 large pears, cored and cut into chunks

4 plums, cored and cut into chunks

10 black peppercorns

10 whole cloves

5 cinnamon sticks

1 quart light or golden rum

If you have a large jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the apples, pears, plums, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon sticks and rum in that. If not, combine in a stockpot with a lid. Make sure that all the ingredients are covered with the spirits, as the alcohol is a preservative.

Allow the ingredients to infuse for two weeks in the refrigerator. After two weeks, strain the mixture through a colander and discard the solids.

Strain again through a colander lined with cheesecloth to remove any fine sediment and decant it into a clean glass jar. Store in a cool, dark place and use within six months for peak flavor.

Serve straight up or splashed with cola. You can double or triple the batch to give as a gift.

Makes 1 quart.

From “Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love” by Noel McMeel with Lynn Marie Hulsman, Running Press

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two baking sheets with vegetable oil or line with parchment paper, then set in the oven while it is heating up.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Beat in the flour, milk, and vanilla. Fold in the oats. Place teaspoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart on the hot pans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, keeping a close eye on them so you can remove them from the oven as soon as they are fully spread and turn light golden brown.

When the cookies are done, let them cool on the pans for 1 minute, or until they are just firm enough to be moved with a metal spatula. (If you like them rolled into tubes, turn the cookies upside down on the pans and, working quickly with your hands, roll them into cylinders on the pans. If the cookies become too firm to roll, return them to the oven for a few seconds and allow them to soften.)

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and let them cool completely, then serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container for up to a month.

Makes about 3 dozen biscuits.

From “Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love” by Noel McMeel with Lynn Marie Hulsman, Running Press

Sweet and Salty Pretzel Crunch Cupcakes

For the batter:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2/3 cup whole milk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup crushed pretzels

For the frosting:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup crushed pretzels, plus more for garnish

Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

To make the cupcakes: In a a large bowl, stir the butter, sugar and salt until combined. Whisk in the egg, then the milk and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda to the bowl; stir until combined. Stir in the pretzels.

Scoop the batter into the cups and bake until just firm, 17-19 minutes.

Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting: In a large bowl, stir the butter, salt and vanilla until combined. Add the sugar and stir until the mixture is moistened. Add the cream and whisk until creamy. Stir in the pretzels. If too soft to frost, chill briefly until it’s spreadable.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with pretzels.